I wanted to include a soft pretzel recipe in my book about the invention of the pretzel - Brother Giovanni's Little Reward. I spent a lot of time in the kitchen - often with my grandsons Daniel and Aaron - to find the best pretzel recipe. Give it a try using the instructions below, or better yet - get my book and learn about how the pretzel was invented!

1. In a small bowl, dissolve yeast and 1 teaspoon sugar in warm water. Let stand until creamy, about 10 minutes.

2. In a large bowl, mix together flour, sugar, and salt. Make a well in the center; add the oil and yeast mixture. Mix and form into a dough. Knead the dough until smooth, about 7 to 8 minutes. Lightly oil a large bowl; place the dough in the bowl and turn to coat with oil. Cover with a damp kitchen towel and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 hour.

4. When dough is risen, punch it down and turn out onto a lightly floured surface. Divide into 12 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a rope (the diameter of your finger and 20 inches long) and twist into a pretzel shape. Once all of the dough is shaped, dip each pretzel into the baking soda solution for about 10 seconds each; then place on a non-stick or greased baking sheet. Sprinkle with sea salt. Bake in preheated oven for 8 minutes or until browned.

5. Brush with melted butter, or dip in melted butter and coat with cinnamon and sugar or other favorites. Enjoy!

My friends at Eerdman's made a really cute video where they made the recipe too. Check it out!